Romeo and Juliet: Gilmore Style
by Bookwormjavajunkie
Summary: Dark Literati. Jess will do anything for Rory, including getting rid of her jealous boyfriend. FINALLY! An update!
1. Chapter 1

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Romeo and Juliet: Gilmore Style

Disclaimer: I seriously don't own anything. I am using a lot of A. S-P's plot but my way. Also, I am in no way responsible for ideas that get put into your head because of this story. Read the warning carefully.

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********WARNING*********

THIS STORY IS RATED R. IT CONTAINS VIOLENCE, SWEARING, AND EXPLICT SEX. THERE IS CHARACTER DEATH. THIS STORY IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE THIS I URGE YOU NOT TO READ. 

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You have been justly warned. I will have this warning on every new chapter. I would appreciate if you would not report this as abuse. I have warned you of the content and it is your choice as to whether or not you wish to read it. 

Pairing: R/J

Summary: Takes place after A-Tisket, A-Tasket. Jess will do anything for Rory including killing her jealous boyfriend, Dean. Will Luke and Lorelai be able to keep these two lovebirds apart when the whole town starts to suspect that Jess is behind Dean's disappearance? 

A/N: The warning is in case I get really twisted with this. Which depending on my mood and what you guys tell me may very well happen. I can't guarantee it will be all that bad, but if I don't warn you ff.net may delete me. I got three votes for this one, so here's a preview chapter. A/N until the end.

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Lorelai and Rory walked into the house.

"I need a shower." Lorelai says.

"Don't be so dramatic." 

" 'I agree with you a hundred percent.' Ugh!"

"Go upstairs."

" Find a movie, I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay."

" 'I agree with you a hundred percent.' I may have to shave my head also." 

"Bye." 

Rory took the phone into her room and dialed a number. 

"Hello?" Jess answers. 

"Hi." 

"Hi." 

"What are you doing?" 

"Nothing, you?" He laid his book down and stretched out, content.

"Nothing." 

"Why'd you call?" 

"" I . . um, I wanted to. . ." 

"I'm glad you called." He whispers.

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah." 

"Why?" She played with the hem of her sheet, her heart hopeful.

"Because maybe you can explain what the hell this crazy woman is talking about." 

"Ah, The Fountainhead." Her heart drops.

"Yes. Your fault, and you will pay." 

"I promise. Commit to it one more time and if it still is awful for you, I will make 

it up to you." 

"Oh yeah?" 

"Yeah." 

"Okay. I'm gonna hold you to that." 

" I bet you will."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Rory broke it by sighing loudly.

"What's wrong?" Jess asks.

"Nothing."

"Rory?"

"Nothing." She said again, less convincingly than the first time.

"Okay, fine whatever. You don't have to tell me."

"There's nothing wrong." She said, a little more animatedly than she had meant to.

"So you said."

"Jess...."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Okay."

"I had fun, okay?"

"Me too."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Silence.

"Listen Rory....." Jess began.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing, never mind."

"Okay."

Silence again.

"Dean talked to my Mom." Rory said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"About?"

"Us." She sighed.

"Us?"

"The basket thing. Us."

"Oh."

"He actually went to my Mom." Once again she sighed.

"That bothers you?"

"Yeah."

"He bother you?"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Wait, did you just.....you tricked me!" She said.

"No I didn't."

"But I said he bothers me."

"You did."

"And that means...."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. It means nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Silence.

"Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"I want it to mean something." He whispered..

"I want it to mean something, too." He could barely hear her.

"Oh, I got to go. My Mom's out of the shower...." She said in a hurry.

"Wait...Rory....wait.." Jess stammered.

"Bye." She said and hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Lorelai asked as she walked down the stairs.

"Dean. I called him back since he paged me." Rory lied. It would be the first in many lies she told her mother.

On the other end of the line Jess just stared at the phone.

"It bite you?" Luke asked.

"Maybe."

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The next morning

Rory walked into the diner and sat beside Dean, who was already eating eggs.

"Hey. You didn't call me back last night." He said in greeting.

Jess walked over and poured her a cup of coffee.

"Yeah. Got home too late to call you."

"That's funny, because I called and it was busy."

"Mmm. Someone else was probably trying to call."

"Right. Taylor saw Lorelai driving home around nine."

"Well, I went to Lane's."

"I called Lane's. You weren't there."

"You called Lane's?"

"Yeah. Rory, why are you lying to me? Why won't you just tell me why you didn't call me back?"

"You had no right to call Lane's when I wasn't home!"

"I wanted to know where you were!"

"I wasn't anywhere."

"You had to be somewhere."

"I was home."

"So why did you lie?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Just because Dean okay."

"Does it have to do with him?" Dean looked up at Jess.

"No."

"You're lying."

"So what if I am, Dean? He's my friend."

"So it was about him. I knew it!"

"You knew what?"

"You weren't at home at all! You were with him!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you went out with him."

"Like I cheated on you?"

"Exactly."

"Dean I love you," Don't I? " I would never do that."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't believe _you_." She said.

By this time Jess had walked away to serve another customer. He hated seeing Dean treat her this way. He had to do something about this.

"He's been all over you since the day he got here! And now you've fallen for it!"

"Dean!"

"Hey, man cool it!" Jess yelled. "She wasn't with me okay?"

"Did I ask you?" Dean snarled.

"Listen. You can have your insecurities somewhere else. And don't treat Rory like shit because you think you aren't worth her time."

" I'm getting sick of you."

"Dean. Please leave." Rory whispered.

"No, I'm not done talking to you." He said.

"The girl asked you to leave."

"Fuck off Mariano."

"You don't want to fuck with me Bag Boy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're smart figure it out."

Dean looked at Jess with red-hot fury in his eyes.

"Dean, stop it. Luke!" Rory called.

Luke came running down the stairs. 

"What's wrong?"

"Please. Tell Dean to leave."

"Out!"

"Not until Mariano leaves my girl alone."

"I never touched her."

"You filthy, lying bastard." Dean took a swing at Jess.

"I'm not the bastard." Jess hit him back.

Luke ran over and pulled them apart.

"Out, before I call the cops." He said to Dean. He pointed to a chair. "Sit." He said to Jess.

When Jess sat and Dean left Luke looked around. "Out, we're closed! And any of you breathe a word about this and you'll be banned for life!"

When everyone had left Luke looked at Jess. "What's going on here?"

"He was standing up for me." Rory said, her voice small. She didn't deal with violence very well.

"What for?"

"Dean got mad when I didn't call him back. I guess he thought I was with Jess. He called Lane's when I didn't answer the phone at my house. That's what we were arguing about."

"He started yelling at me Luke. I asked him to leave. He yelled some more. Jess was trying to get him to go. He started yelling at Jess too. That's when I called for you."

Rory was starting to cry.

"Okay, calm down. He's gone now." Luke said.

"Oh great. He made her cry. I'll kill the...."

"Jess."

"What?" He snapped.

"Thanks."

"For?"

"Trying to handle the Dean situation."

"Yeah. Whatever."


	2. Chapter 2

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**Mature Content. Violence, Swearing, and Sexual Content. You've been warned.**

"Why are you still with that guy?" Jess said angrily. He was walking around the apartment picking things up and putting them back down.

"Don't yell at me." Rory said.

He stopped and looked at her. He had been yelling at her and she looked so helpless. "Sorry. It pisses me off, that's all."

"That I'm still with him?" She said irritably.

"That he's an ass."

"Oh. He's not usually an ass. He's jealous. You bring out the worse in him." She looked at her hands that were still visibly shaking. Dean had never been like that until Jess had come to Stars Hollow. Well, other than with Tristan. Was this how he really was?

"You didn't answer my question." Jess watched her.

"What question?"

"Why are you still with him?" He huffed loudly.

"Because he's my boyfriend." She said it like it was so obvious that she was amazed he had even asked.

"Oh, good reason." He commented sarcastically.

"It is."

"He wouldn't be your boyfriend if you broke up with him. Then you wouldn't have that as an excuse to be with him."

"I can't break up with him!" She was mortified by the idea.

"And why not?"

"Because he's my boyfriend." She said again.

"Oh, Jesus Christ. Fuck me." He walked over the window and stared out of it angrily.

"I don't see what the big deal is. He was jealous that's all."

"Did you forget he's a stalker?"

"He's not. He was just worried. Maybe I was a little too hard on him."

"How could you say that, Rory?" He was exasperated now and sat down on the sofa next to her. She was trembling and he wasn't helping.

"It's true. And I did lie to him."

"How?"

"I didn't call him back because of you. I called you instead of him." She looked at her hands then. 

"Dammit Rory! Do not blame this on yourself!" Jess stood up yelling.

"You're yelling at me again!" She looked him right in the eye.

"Yes I am! Dammit someone needs to! Shit. I never figured you as the type to be afraid of your boyfriend." He turned away from her trying to get his temper under control.

"I'm not afraid...." She began stubbornly.

"The hell you aren't! Dammit Rory, don't lie to me. I was down there today! I heard you last night."

"Last night. This is what all of this is about isn't it? Last night!" She was starting to really get angry.

"Why did you call me last night?"

"What?"

"You never told me why you called." He sat back down, calmer now.

"It doesn't matter anymore." She whispered.

"Oh." 

"I shouldn't have called you last night. It was stupid. Everything I said was stupid. Just forget it ever happened."

"Oh. Alright." Something inside him died.

"I need to go talk to Dean. I need to work this out." Rory stood up.

"Rory! No, dammit Rory. You don't need to be with a guy like him." He walked over to where she was standing.

"A guy like him? What do you mean?"

He grabbed her shoulders a little too tightly. When she flinched he loosened his grip. "He's a wife-beater waiting to happen Rory. You don't see that, you've never had to be around that. You've been around people like Luke your whole life. You only see the good in people." He held her there just looking at her.

She quickly jerked away from him. "Stop treating me like I'm stupid. I know not every guy is like Luke. I know there are guys that deliberately hurt their girlfriends. But Dean isn't one of them."

"He sure as hell looks like it to me."

"You know, maybe the problem is that you are too cynical. Not everyone is bad, Jess."

"I know." His voice got soft.

"I'm going to apologize to Dean now." She turned around and practically ran out the door.

Jess ran down the stairs following her. "Rory! Wait! Rory. Come on! Wait. Rory!" He followed her out the door and onto the street where he stopped. Rory had run straight into the arms of Dean who had been waiting by Doose's. Dean seemed to be a lot calmer than he had been. He had a red mark on his face from when Jess hit him, but that was the only sign of what had happened. He was whispering something to Rory and she was nodding her head. Dean kissed her on the top of the head and sent a look at Jess.

Jess sent him a look back and walked into the diner. He stormed into the kitchen where Luke was trying to get his temper under control.

"For such a smart girl, she can be so stupid sometimes." He muttered.

Rory sat on her bed just staring. She had lost track of the amount of time she had been staring but it was a very long time. Lorelai was in at Luke's, she figured Luke would bring up the Dean incident. That was okay, she hadn't really told him not to. Things were under control now right? Lorelai would have to accept that.

But things weren't under control. She had agreed with Dean only to keep from having another argument. She hated arguing with Dean. So when told her she had to stay away from Jess, she agreed. When he told her he needed to know where she was, she agreed. When he told her a man had a right to be jealous when his girl was with another man, she agreed. But it wasn't because she was afraid of him. Was it?

"No. I am _not_ afraid of Dean." She said out-loud.

Just then the phone rang and she jumped. 'Oh my God that scared me,' she thought. She reached over and grabbed the phone from where she had laid it beside her bed.

"Hello?" Her voice was pensive and trembled a little, she noticed neither. Inside she was saying 'please don't be Jess, please don't be Jess, please don't be Dean, please be Jess, no no, please don't be Jess."

"Rory? What's wrong?" Lane asked.

"Oh. Lane. Nothing." She had forgotten she had called Lane. Lane was probably just calling her back from last night.

"Well hi to you too."

"Sorry. Hi."

She made a decision she would regret for the rest of her life. She decided she wasn't going to tell Lane what had happened that morning. It wasn't a big deal, was it? No, it wasn't.

Several weeks had gone by without a problem. Dean was back to normal, he even let Rory go see Jess without getting angry. She was able to go to Luke's every morning, have coffee, and discuss good literature. She hung out with Lane everyday. At night she'd call Dean, or he would call her, and they'd have nice conversations. Everything was fine.

Or so she told herself.

The fact was everything was not fine. She hadn't spoken to Jess in what seemed like a lifetime, and the only time she went into Luke's was when she was with her mother. She never went before school when she knew Jess would be in there, and she stayed out during late evenings, since Luke was prone to make Jess close. She hadn't had a decent conversation about literature since she'd spoken to Jess on the bridge, so long ago. In fact, she hadn't read anything she didn't know from front to back already. She was afraid she'd run into him in the bookstore so she was reading her own selection. Currently she was reading Emma by Jane Austen. She rarely spoke to Lane. The weight of hiding her deepest, darkest feelings from her friend was too much.

And as for Dean, he changed. He had changed so much. He seemed to be very irritable around her anymore. And way too physical. For some reason Rory didn't like to have him touch her anymore. She couldn't remember when that had happened, but it seemed like it had always been there. He did call her every night, to check up on her. He would ask her about almost every minute of her day, telling her nothing about his. The first few times, she would be sarcastic, or silly, and say everything that happened since she had woke up, or make up something that could never had happened. She had learned quickly enough that that wasn't wise. He would have sudden bursts of anger, and start yelling at her for no reason.

He said I love you too much.

'Whoa, where did that come from?' She asked herself. She was sitting at a desk in the inn trying to do her homework. If she wasn't with Dean she tried to stay with her mother. Safer that way. When did she start caring what was safe? She shook her head. 'Thinking about my life is not making me understand Latin more. Why on Earth do I have to take Latin, Spanish, and French anyway?'

She needed to talk to her best friends. Lorelai, Lane, and Jess. Although in this case she had already talked to Lorelai. Her dad had a new, annoying girlfriend. Her name was Sherri. How could he even like anyone like that. Oh, and she had a strong interest in Rory. 'Great, that's exactly what I need right now.' She thought.

She looked at the clock. 6:30. She had to meet Dean at his house in half an hour. They were going to rent movies, order pizza, and have a night in, just the two of them. She shuddered. 'I wish we could just go out to a movie, I don't really want to be alone with him.' Dean had been getting more and more physical with her and then suddenly he had wanted to spend a night with her...alone. His parents and sister were gone, they would be back Monday, so it would be just the two of them in his house. She was afraid to think about what that might mean. This was the first time she had ever thought about sex with Dean, the thought made her sick to her stomach.

After sitting a few moments with her eyes closed to steel herself she put her books away. Luckily, she had dressed nicely to help Lorelai in the inn, which she didn't actually need, but it kept her away from Dean and Jess.

"Six-thirty," she called to her mom. Lorelai was driving her to Dean's on her way to Doose's. Sookie had run out of heavy cream in the middle of making desert. 'You can't have two deserts! It screams we ran out of ingredients for the other one so here, this is runner up!' Sookie had said. So Lorelai was picking up heavy cream for her.

"Okay. Coming!"

Ten minutes later Lorelai walked out of the kitchen, a steaming travel mug of coffee in her hands. "Ready to go sweets?"

"Yep." Rory got up and followed her mother out the door.

They arrived at Dean's at five minutes til seven. Rory had told Lorelai she really didn't want to be late. She left out the part where she was afraid that Dean would get mad were she late.

"Have fun. But not too much fun." Lorelai said.

"I won't." Rory said and got out of the Jeep.

She walked up the walk onto the porch and knocked on the door. Lorelai noticed the nervousness in her daughter and was concerned by it. Moments later, when Dean answered the door, the nervousness only increased. She made a silent vow to ask her about that later.

"Hi." Dean said opening the door wider.

'Hi." She walked through and looked around. Yep, really alone. Oh no.

Dean kissed her. It was a hard kiss, one she had gotten used to these past few weeks. His kisses anymore seemed mean, angry. This was slightly different somehow, this one seemed hungry. He pulled away and her mouth felt bruised.

"Hi." He leaned his forehead against hers.

"Hi." She faked a smile. "Movies?"

"Oh yeah, I got...." He picked up two movie cases. "The Godfather 3, you know for comic relief, and X-Men. I hear it's pretty good."

"Yeah, me too."

They sat down on the floor and began to watch.

About fifteen minutes into the movie Dean started kissing Rory. These were fast, hard kisses that were meant to take, not give. Rory didn't say anything, knowing that he liked doing it and that saying anything would make him mad. But when he started unbuttoning her blouse she knew she had to put her foot down.

'Dean. Dean, stop." She pushed at him trying to get him off her.

"What? What's wrong?" Dean asked.

"I don't want to do this. I'm not ready."

"We've been seeing each other almost two years."

"Yeah."

"You love me, I love you."

"Yeah."

"So what's the problem?"

"I'm just not ready. I'm sorry Dean." She scooted away from him a little, hoping he didn't notice. He did.

"And now you act like you're afraid of me!" He stood up. "Get up!"

She hurried to her feet. "What are you doing?"

"I'm showing you that there is nothing to be afraid of. I won't hurt you. Much."

"What do you mean? Dean!" He was pushing her into his room now. "Dean! I said no!"

"I know what you said. You didn't mean it. You're scared." He shut the door. "Lay down."

"No." She crossed her arms.

He pushed her on the bed. "Dammit Rory. It would be a lot easier if you weren't fighting me."

He laid down on top of her. She started fighting, squirming, hitting him, kicking. "Dean! No! I don't want to do this! Why are you doing this?" She was crying now. She should have just stopped, should have just let it happen, but she couldn't. She had to fight it.

"Rory, stop fighting me. Come on. You don't want to get hurt do you?" His voice was eerily calm now. It was almost gentle.

"Dean! Stop it!" She lifted her knee in an attempt to knee him in the balls but missed. "Dean!"

He had her top unbuttoned now and was working on her bra. She couldn't take it anymore. She began flailing and kicking randomly. She hit him in the face once and was rewarded by him hitting her.

"Don't do that. I didn't want to hit you, it was a reflex. Just calm down." He had gotten her bra open and was licking at her nipples. When he bit down on one of them her knee lifted in reflex. This time it connected with it's goal. 

"Ah, God dammit." He said rolling off her.

Rory jumped up fastening her bra. She pulled her shirt around her and glared at Dean.

"That's it. Dean it's over. Just stay away from me! I don't want you anywhere near me." She ran out of the house crying.

She was still crying when she reached her house. Her mom was still at the inn and she didn't want to call there and have her worried. So she decided to call Lane. Sure she'd have to fess up to everything that had been happening, but surely Lane would understand. She picked up the phone and dialed Lane's number.

"Kim' Antiques." Mrs. Kim said.

"It's Rory. Is Lane there?" She asked.

"Lane busy. No talk. Call again later."

"Mrs. Kim I really need to talk to Lane."

"No talk. Call later. Good bye." Mrs. Kim hung up.

'Dammit!' She screamed it loud inside her head. Now what? She still had one option. She dialed a very familiar number.

"Hello?" Someone answered after the third ring.

"J...J..Jess." Her voice stammered.

"Rory what's wrong?" His voice was full of concern. He forgot about the sarcastic remark he had waiting for her.

"Can you meet me at the bridge. I need to talk to someone." She asked.

"Yeah, sure. Ten minutes." He said.

"Thanks." They hung up 

They were sitting on the bridge, their feet dangling. Rory had just told Jess her whole story. She didn't feel as rattled up here, with him. She felt safe somehow.

"I'll take care of it." Jess said. His voice was low and dark.

"Don't do anything stupid, Jess. I mean it." Rory said.

"What should I do? Just let him go. Let nothing happen to him?"

"I don't know."

"Rory, he cannot be around to do this to you again. I won't let that happen."

"Jess, what are you saying?" Rory looked over at him worried.

"I really don't know what I'm saying. He needs to suffer. He hurt you Rory." He looked at her and made eye contact. She quickly dropped her gaze. 

"He didn't hurt me, much."

"Rory, you won't even let me make eye contact. I can't stand this. It isn't right."

Rory sighed and looked out over the lake. "Walk me home."

"Okay."

They walked towards her house in a comfortable silence. Somewhere along the way one of them had taken the other's hand. Neither seemed to notice. They stopped at Rory's door and just stared. She pulled her hand from his and they both looked down at where they had been joined.

"Read to me until my mom gets home?" She asked.

"Of course."

They walked in and she went into her room. When she came back out she had a yellow book. She handed it to him and sat down on the sofa patting the spot next to her. He sat down allowing her curl into him. He smiled and opened the book.

"'The ladies here probably exchanged looks which meant, 'Men never know when things are dirty or not.'" He began on a random page in Emma.

He had read to her for almost an hour until Lorelai got home. When he heard her car pull up he snuck out the back door. Now he was just minutes away from Luke's, his anger steadily growing. He couldn't believe Dean would do something like that to someone like Rory. His pace quickened as his anger grew. He could have really hurt her. What if she hadn't stopped him? Then Dean would have died. Plain and simple. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

He couldn't make out what it had said but he could see clearly that it had come from Dean. 'Great' he thought. 

"I though I told you to leave my girl alone Mariano."

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To be continued..........................................


	3. Chapter 3

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***WARNING***

Swearing, violence, and strong sexuality that may lead to semi-graphic sex. If you can not handle these subjects I urge you not to read. 

CHARACTER DEATH

"I thought I told you to stay away from her, Mariano." Dean said emerging from the shadows where he had been all but lurking.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jess moved to walk past him.

Dean grabbed his arm hard and jerked him back. "You were with her! Dammit Jess! That's why I couldn't find her."

Jess jerked himself out of Dean's grasp. "Don't fucking touch me!"

"What did she tell you?" He screamed it.

"She didn't tell me anything, I wasn't with her." He rolled his shoulders like a boxer preparing for a fight. 'Rory does not want you to do anything stupid. Remember that. Be calm for Rory." He told himself.

"Don't bullshit me! What did she tell you!"

"I told you! I wasn't with her!"

"What did she tell you." He whispered this with his teeth clenched.

Suddenly it donned on Jess. Dean had been following them. Hadn't he had a strange feeling as he was walking Rory to her house, like he was being watched. He had passed it off so easily as just paranoia and temper. He should have followed his gut and checked it out.

"She told me everything!" Jess screamed it. His skin was vibrating now, humming with a raw hatred. He could see clearly, all too clearly, Dean touching Rory, bruising her. He could see Rory's eyes, scared, confused, crying out for help that wasn't there. An icy chill ran down his spine followed by a flash of pure, searing heat flashed throughout his whole body. He led a silent struggle to not let himself go blind with his rage. If he could keep his senses no one would be hurt. The struggle was almost impossible.

"You don't understand. It wasn't anything at all like she told you....." Dean started, his voice pleading.

"What? So you mean you didn't try to rape her?" His voice was calm and collected. It sounded eerie and dangerous even to his own ears.

"It didn't happen like that. She agreed...."

"She didn't agree to shit. Dean just shut the fuck up I don't want to hear it." He started to walk past Dean again.

Dean grabbed his arm and something snapped. The world became a mass of black with a halo of red around the edges. All sound was muted by the sound of his blood roaring, fast, and strong, through his veins. He couldn't feel Dean's hand on him but he knew it was there. On a deep breath he turned around and hit Dean right in the face.

There was a warm, damp feeling on his hand that later he would account to Dean's nose bleeding. Dean let go and stumbled backwards, pale and shocked. He didn't even see the second blow coming. It was to his stomach this time and he bent over in agony. He managed to straighten out an get a good shot at Jess' temple which sent him reeling. Jess tripped over something and landed on his side on the ground.

Dean stared at Jess as he lay on the ground, trying to lift himself with one arm. This was very hard for him to do and obviously painful because when he fell his whole arm had become scraped. The abrasions were oozing blood, but Jess didn't feel anymore than a slight sting. As Jess made progress in getting up Dean kicked him in the stomach knocking him down again. He kicked him twice more until he lay on his back. Jess was panting hard and had laid there for a few seconds. Dean didn't think he'd be getting back up anytime soon. He was wrong.

Just as Dean had turned around to walk away, Jess started sitting up. It took a lot of effort and a lot of strength to do so but he did. Next, he went to get on his feet. This didn't seem so hard until he was actually on his feet. Then he got really dizzy. Who would've known Bag Boy knew to go for the temples. It was no secret Dean had size on his side, so Jess had to cheat. He grabbed the thing that he had tripped over. It was a piece of two-by-four left from the last time Luke had had his roof fixed.

Dean, stupidly, stopped in his tracks. He gave a small laugh. "Sad thing is, I got farther than you ever will." He shook his head lightly still laughing.

Jess, having lost the little bit of control he had maintained, swung the piece of board. It hit Dean in the back of the head with a loud crack. The board broke in half at the force of the blow and thousands of little cracking sounds could be heard as Dean's skull was literally crushed. It sounded vaguely of popping popcorn. A stream of red trickled down Dean's neck as he fell forward. Jess made a disgusted noise and threw the board on the ground. Almost in a daze, he walked in through the back way of the diner, through the kitchen, and upstairs in the apartment.

"Oh shit!" Jess came running down the stairs fifteen minutes later. He ran out the back door, looked at where Dean was laying in the alley. 

"Fuck." He said. He closed the door and turned around.

"What's your problem?" Luke, who had followed him into the kitchen from where he was counting money at the counter, asked.

"He's fucking dead. My God. He's dead." Jess had turned an unnatural shade of white. He was pacing around the kitchen, obviously frantic.

"Who's dead? Jess what's going on?" Luke's voice held concern and slight panic.

"What?" Jess looked at him for a moment, not totally understanding the question. "Uh. Dean. Dean's dead. Fuck! Dean's dead!"

"Jess! What did you......" Luke trailed off, realizing that wasn't they way to find out anything. "What happened?" His voice was almost as frantic as Jess's.

"He's dead! He's dead! I fucking killed him! Shit! Fucking wonderful!"

"Jess! Calm down! What happened? Why did you kill him?"

"Does it matter? He's dead, I killed him! Who the hell cares why I killed him?" He was panting now, his chest heaving, eyes large. 'I'm going to retch.' He remembered thinking.

"I care! Now, what happened!" Luke could see the terror in his eyes. He stunk of fear.

"Fuck!"

"Jess, I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened!" Luke yelled. It seemed right to be yelling. Both were completely freaked and stalking the kitchen, one walking in one direction while the other was walking in the opposite direction. The only stopped to scream at each other.

"I can't! Rory will kill me! There's that word again: kill! Oh shit! I am so fucked. Oh shit, oh shit." He chanted 'oh shit' for a good thirty seconds.

"Rory? What does Rory have to do with this?" Luke stopped and stared blankly at him.

"Shit! The bastard tried to rape her! Okay! He tried to rape Rory!" Jess stopped in his tracks to stare at Luke. He hadn't just said that. He wasn't here, in the kitchen of his Uncle's diner, pacing back and forth, discussing why a man had died, at his hands. It was a nightmare. He fell asleep while reading to Rory. 'Wake up, Mariano. Lorelai will be home any minute.' He told himself. As an after thought he pinched his arm. "Ah fuck." He winced and pushed his sleeve up. His arm was skinned. He vaguely remembered falling, having Dean kick him. "Steel-toed boots." He said out loud.

"What? Dean tried to rape Rory? And what about steel-toed boots?" Luke looked totally confused.

"I might have broken ribs." Jess was staring absently at an industrial toaster that hadn't worked in months. "He was wearing steel-toed boots."

"Jess, snap out of it. Okay, Dean tried to rape Rory." He swallowed a big dose of rage. "But how did you get from there to killing him?"

Jess swallowed. He began to speak but not really to Luke, to himself, sorting things out in his head. "Rory called me. She sounded small and afraid, she wanted to meet me at the bridge. That's where I went. She told me how he....." He couldn't say it again. " She wanted me to walk her home and read to her until Lorelai was home. She didn't want to be alone. I went with her, and left when I heard Lorelai's car. I had felt him following us. I should have known. Dammit, I should have known. He was here when I got back. There was yelling." He shook his head. "I don't remember. Everything went black. I don't remember." He was still absently staring at the toaster. "He kicked me. I was down, and he kicked me." Jess shook his head.

"Okay, okay. What time did you leave Rory's?" Luke asked trying to be collective.

"Why?"

"We need to work out an alibi."

"An alibi?" Jess looked at him stupidly.

"Yeah. You know the thing you tell the cops so you don't get caught?" Luke said.

"But....nine-thirty. I left at nine-thirty." He sighed.

"So, you left at nine-thirty. Dean and you had a fight over Rory, Rory has to be the other part of your alibi. I broke it apart. You came in and helped me close up. We heard a thud and went outside, and Dean was dead." "Luke stumbled and spoke in broken sentences making up the alibi.

"Got it. Thanks Luke. Do you think it will work?" Jess looked a little relieved but still cautious.

"We can give it our best go. Collect yourself." He picked up the phone. "I can not believe I am about to become an accessory to murder." He mumbled to himself and dialed 911.

By morning everyone had heard about Dean's death. The police had believed Jess' alibi but most of the Stars Hollow residents thought he killed Dean. Of course, they were right but they didn't need to know that. Luke had gone outside and made it look like Dean had tripped and busted his head on a cinderblock. He didn't know how long it would fool people but he was hoping for a long time.

Due to the amount of speculation Luke made Jess work in the kitchen doing breakfast dishes before school. Another reason was so that he could keep him away from Rory. There was no need to involve Rory in this anymore than she already was. When she walked in Luke gave an inward sigh and set out to being as normal as possible.

"Hi." Rory said to Luke. "Two coffees." 

She sounded tired, a little depressed, but not as much as he figured a girl would sound if her boyfriend had just been killed. Considering the circumstances though, he couldn't blame her altogether.

"Coming up." He went back to get the coffees.

"Oh Luke?" Rory stopped him. "Is Jess around?"

"Uh. Yeah. But he can't talk to right now, Ror." Luke said sadly.

"Oh. Okay. Can I..." She paused. "Can I use your bathroom upstairs?"

"Sure. Go ahead." He went back to getting the coffees.

Rory walked over to Lane who had come in with her and Lorelai. "While I'm upstairs tell Jess he has to bring the book from under his pillow, stress under his pillow, to school today. It's important. Please?"

"Yeah. Of course." Lane smiled shaking her head.

Rory got up and went upstairs. Lane got up and walked over to the counter.

"Luke?"

"Oh, hi Lane." He said trying to act nonchalant and failing.

"While Rory's upstairs....can I talk to Jess. It's about school."

"Okay. Jess out to the counter!" He yelled into the kitchen.

"I'm coming. I thought you told me to stay in the back." Jess said grumpily.

"I did. Lane wants to talk to you about school." Luke walks the coffees over to Lorelai, Lane, and Rory's table where he starts to have a discussion with Lorelai.

"What?" Jess asked.

"Rory's upstairs using Luke's bathroom." Lane said.

"Yeah. So?"

"So. She wanted me to remind you that you need that book, the one you keep under your pillow, for school today. It's very important."

"What......oh. The one under my pillow?" Jess asked finally understanding.

"Yes. Under your pillow." Lane said again.

"Okay, thanks." Jess said. "Luke, I need to go upstairs. I have to get something for school."

Luke looks around and sees that Rory hasn't come back down yet. "Wait a couple of minutes." He said.

When Rory came down and left for school Luke let Jess go upstairs and get what he needed. He lifted his pillow and found a piece of yellow legal paper folded in half. He picked it up and read it.

__

Jess-

Meet me at my house at ten. Come to my window and I'll let you in. We have to talk, but you already know that. Please Jess. I'll be waiting.

Love -- Rory

Jess folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket. He then grabbed a random book and walked downstairs with it.

Lane had been saving him a seat. She was almost all the way in the back by the window. Jess' favorite seat because the teacher hardly ever looked there. He walked in, spotted her, and headed over to her.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey." She said back, taking her books from the desk behind her.

He sat down and leaned up in his desk. "You going to see Rory today after school?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, hold on." He rips out a piece of notebook paper and scribbles something on it.

__

Rory--

Okay. It may not be ten but I'll be there. Luke doesn't want me around you. He hasn't said so but he doesn't have to. I may have to sneak out. Leave the window cracked so if I'm late I can just push it open.

I'm sorry.

Jess

"Give this to her." He says folding the paper and handing it to Lane.

"Alright. Hey Jess I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Did you kill Dean?"

"Do you think I did?"

"I don't know."

"Does Rory?"

To be continued.........................................................


	4. Chapter 4

****

Sexual Content, Violence, and Swearing. Do not read if these subjects offend you. 

He hadn't made it at ten. Luke hadn't been in bed yet and it would have been impossibly hard for him to sneak out of the apartment with Luke up watching television. It had been about eleven before he was able to slip onto the fire escape and into the alley between the diner and the park. This place gave him the creeps and he shuddered. Dean had died there the night before. He had killed him. He didn't want to think about it. He quickly and silently walked the streets to the Gilmore house.

The house was completely dark, no one was up. He wasn't sure if he should go ahead. What if Rory didn't wait for him? What if she was asleep? He decided to take a chance. He approached Rory's window, thanking God that she lived on the lower level. It was open a crack and the drapes hung open as well. He pushed it up and climbed in. 

Everything was dark. He could barely make out Rory's still form on the bed in the moonlight. She was too still. She wasn't breathing. 'Oh my God.' He thought to himself and in a half panic ran over to the bed. He all but collapsed on the side and put his hand on her forehead. He had no idea what he had meant to accomplish with this. She was warm, still pulsing. He thought he could cry. Maybe, maybe if he had gotten there on time everything would have been okay. Rory would have been okay. Devastated he bent his head towards hers.

"Oh Rory." He whispered and gave her a small kiss on the mouth.

Suddenly she sighed and shifted. It took her a moment to open her eyes and look at him.

"Mmm. Hi. I see you made it." She whispered sleepily.

He jumped, startled and immensely relieved. "Shit! I thought you were dead."

"Why would you think that?" She asked, confused.

"You weren't breathing!" He loudly whispered.

"I was asleep. I breathe lightly when I'm asleep."

"Warn me next time. I was freakin' over here." He half laughed.

"You were freakin'? I'm the one who has a murderer sitting on her bed." She lloked over at him.

"Figured it out faster than the police." He smirked.

"Yeah. Where'd the cinder block come from? I don't remember ever seeing it there before?"

"Don't ask me."

"Did you have a conspirator? Did he bring you in the cinder block to frame? Poor cinder block." She said as an after thought.

"I can't say."

"Oh so it's hush-hush huh? So mafia-like. Come on Jess. You can tell me. I already know you did it." She laughed up at him.

"You seem awful cheerful for someone whose boyfriend was just killed and whose friend may face jail time." Jess faked a disapproving voice.

"Ex-boyfriend. And the cinder block killed him, remember? What did you kill him with by the way?"

"Two-by-four. I think." He ducked his head.

"You think?" She questioned.

"Blind rage. You know how it is." He said this matter-of-factly as if she were an old drinking buddy with whom he'd shared this kind of information before.

She nodded as if she did know how it felt even though she really had no idea. "So, two-by-four. They didn't see the wood fragments?"

"Obviously not."

"Huh."

"Stupidity is a virtue in this case, I suppose." He said.

"It most defiantly is. You're lucky our cops are not the most intelligent people in the whole world or else you, mister, would be busted right now. What are you going to do if they catch on to you?" She asked.

"Bolt." He said this matter-of-factly as if there was no other option than the one he presented.

"Oh."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

"If you bolt," Rory started but then trailed off.

"Yeah?"

"If you bolt can I come with you?"

"Rory."

"Jess...."

"You're already too involved. Stay out of it."

"No, Jess."

"Rory."

"I'll follow you."

"You would." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, I would."

Something hit him and a cold panic skidded down his spine. "How much did you tell Lane?"

"What?" For a moment she was confused.

"She was asking me about it this morning. How much did you tell her?"

"Nothing. Well, nothing about you killing Dean. I told her about last night, with Dean."

"So that's why she assumed I killed Dean."

"The whole town thinks you killed Dean and I didn't tell anyone except for you, Lane, and Mom." She thought for a moment. "Does anyone besides us know about it."

"Well, everyone who suspects it."

"I mean who else actually knows?"

He hesitated. "No one."

"You hesitated! You're lying!"

"No I'm not." He shrugged it off.

"Yes, you are. Come on. Who else knows?"

" I-have-no-idea-what-you-are-talking-about-no-one-but-you-me-Luke-and-Dean-knows-who-really-killed-Dean." He said really quickly trying to sneak the Luke part.

"Oh." Then she realized all of what he said. "Luke! Luke knows?"

"Yes Luke knows."

"How does Luke know? What does Luke know?"

"A lot."

"Jess!"

"Hey! I know. I was lost. I had just killed a man. What was I supposed to do? Luke offered to help and I accepted it. He wouldn't help unless I told him why. Let's admit it, I needed help! I hate to admit it, you hate to admit, Luke hated to admit it, but I needed help!"

"Okay."

"I'm sorry." He said and meant it. Although he didn't know what it was for. Was it for telling Luke? Killing Dean? Involving Rory in all of this? 

"Accepted."

"Good."

On a whim she kissed him. This was nothing like the kisses she had shared with Dean. These kisses were warm and passionate and full of longing. These kisses made her feel beautiful, wanted. Loved. They weren't mean or angry. They were sweet, kind while at the same time rough and primal. The mix intrigued her, aroused her. There was a small tingle between her legs and she didn't know what it meant. 'This isn't right, Gilmore.' She scolded herself. Gently, she pulled away.

"Mmm. Hi." She smiled.

"Hi. Let's do that again." He smirked and leaned back in.

"Jess. Now's not the right time." She said it softly but sternly, a small bit of sorrow in her voice.

"Not the right time for what?" He asked, a little confused.

"For.......you....know......Jess come on." Rory pleaded and then stammered.

"No, I don't know. For what Rory?" He fully understood now but was teasing her.

"Jess......" Her voice had a very serious tone to it.

"Okay, okay. I'm stopping." He held both his hands in front of him for evidence, or maybe defense. "So, I should go now....." He left it open, a question, a statement he was going to let her decide. And decide the answer.

"Oh. Don't go. Stay. Talk. Entertain me." She sat further up in bed and smiled. He noticed she was wearing her cake pajamas. If he had known her a little better he would've also noticed that those were the pajamas she typically saved for special occasions.

"Fine. What's your biggest fear?" He asked, more serious than Rory had expected him to be. He was, of course, prone to these mood swings. It was just something she would have to get used to.

"Flying." She said automatically.

"Deeper. I don't mean some physical thing. Get deeper and find something that scares you to death."

"Oh." She thought for a long minute. "Dying. Death. Ironic since I'm sitting here with a known murderer, I know. But I'm afraid of dying and leaving everyone I love, I'm afraid of what might be after this life. I'm really afraid there won't be anything at all. That we just die and that's poof. All the hard work we went through led to no greater end."

"Reasonable. A lot of people are afraid of death. I, myself, have never really thought of what's to come after. It raises quite a few good question as to life." He said in his best mock therapist voice.

She laughed. "Funny. What's your greatest fear?"

"I have none." He said at once in a voice that resembled a little kid playing the super hero.

"Oh sure you do. Come on Jess, what is it?"

He thought for a very long moment even though he knew what it really was. He had realized it in it's most complete state earlier that night when he thought Rory was dead. But should he tell her that? Should he let her see that side of him? Why the hell not? She knew he'd killed Dean. If he could trust her with that then he could trust her with about anything.

"I'm afraid of being alone." He stated simply.

"Being alone? That makes no sense. Why do you shut yourself off from everyone if your so scared of being alone?"

"Good question." He laid on her bed with his arms folded behind his head and sighed. "Because that's only part of my fear. I'm afraid of becoming close with someone, maybe even of loving them..." Did he love her? No, of course not. Right? "... and then losing them. I'm afraid of that kind of alone. So, if I don't let people close enough to me to care about, then I can't lose them."

"Huh. So, if you're trying to keep people away from you then why did you tell me that?" She propped herself on her elbow and looked at him. He in turn turned his head to look at her.

"You've already gotten too close. There's no turning back now." He said. "You will be mine. Resistance is futile." Now he was joking, using his worst scary movie voice. Rory laughed and collapsed down beside him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Luke asked a few hours later.

"I went for a walk." Jess answered nonchalantly.

"At two o' clock in the morning?"

"Looks like."

"Need I remind you that you have to get up early to help me in the diner and have school tomorrow." Luke said cantankerously.

"No, but since you already have I'll be up." He walked off into the bathroom to take a shower.

"I think I'm ready." Rory whispered to Lane on the phone at eight-forty-five pm.

"Ready for what?" Lane asked.

"To have.... you know. Sex."

"What!" She exclaimed.

"Shhh. Lane, I don't want your mother hearing you." Rory whispered into the phone. She was whispering because Lorelai was in the other room and she didn't want her to hear her.

"Sorry." Lane whispered. "With Jess?"

"Yes."

"I-killed-your-boyfriend-Jess?" Lane asked.

"We don't know that he killed Dean. But yes. Even if he did kill Dean. Dean kind of, deserved it."

"Rory, I can't believe you. This is so not you. I am so proud." She tried to conceal her enjoyment. "When?"

"He's coming over tonight. At nine."

"Oh my God!" Lane squealed.

Just then Lorelai walked into the room. "Hey sweets, I'm going to head off to bed I have to be at the Inn extra early in the morning."

"Okay. Good night Mom." Rory said, holding her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Night honey." She went upstairs muttering something about asses and evaluations.

"Back. He doesn't know I'm thinking about it. Yet. Do you think I should?" She asked.

"Well he did kill Dean." She stopped at the disapproving scoff. "If it's what you want, I'd say go for it." She said.

"Thanks. Oh. It's almost nine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Rory. Good luck."

"Thanks, bye." They both hung up.

Moments later Rory was in bed wearing just a T-shirt and panties when she heard the knock on the window.

"Ror?"

"I'm here Jess, come in." 


	5. Chapter 5

****

*Sexual Content, Violence, and Swearing. Do not read if these subjects offend you.*

"What is going on here?"

'Not the best way to wake up.' Jess thought. Groggily, he looked over at Rory who was sleeping in his arms. Then it registered. Lorelai was the one who had yelled, she had saw them together, in bed, the way they were. She had to have jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Recognition seemed to dawn for him at the exact same time that it did for Rory, because as his mind started racing trying to find a way to fix it she shot up.

"Mom, Mom! It's not what it looks like! Really!"

It wasn't what it looked liked. Yeah, sure, Jess was in Rory's bed, naked from the waist up, his jeans unbuttoned, hair thoroughly mussed while Rory was in just a T-shirt and underwear. But it wasn't what it looked like.

Rory had changed her mind, decided that what she was doing wasn't right and that it was probably because of all the excitement from when Dean had tried to rape her, Dean being killed, and Jess facing some serious problems that had made her want him. At that moment at least. Right then hadn't been right. And while Jess was more than a bit frustrated he had stopped. They had spent the night talking about books and movies and music. Apparently, they had fallen asleep. That was just wonderful. Exactly what they both needed.

"Jess, get out. Rory, kitchen." Lorelai said between clenched teeth.

Jess gave Rory a small smile, a grim one that was meant to assure her. It didn't do its job. He slipped on his shoes and gathered his clothes and left. Rory walked into the kitchen.

"Mom...." Rory pleaded, not sure of what to say.

Lorelai didn't say anything, instead she went over the phone and angrily dialed a number. It was a few seconds before anyone answered.

"Luke's Diner." Luke said. He sounded grumpier than usual and somewhat bland. If Lorelai had been in the mood to analyze it she probably would have noticed that he was trying to cover up some deep pain. He had thought Jess bolted. He had known that he probably would, but it would have been nice to at least get a goodbye.

"Luke. Glad I could reach you. It's...." She looked at the clock. ".......six-thirty in the morning, do you know where your nephew is?" She sounded very grumpy and angrily sarcastic.

"No. No, actually I don't. He booked last night. He's gone."

"Oh. That's interesting. Because you know what Luke? I know exactly where the little bastard is." Once again her teeth were clenched as she spoke. Rory flinched from her spot at the table.

"What? You do? Where?" Maybe he had told Rory where he was going and she had told Lorelai. That small flicker of hope outweighed the anger he heard in Lorelai's voice and the harsh name she had used.

"Walking back to the diner. Still probably half naked."

"What?" He was genuinely confused.

"Oh, nothing much. I just came in to wake Rory up and found him in bed with her. Both half naked."

"Oh. Did....." He didn't even bother to finish the question. He knew that if that was Jess had gone there for he had probably got it. He hated to admit it but it was true. Disappointment flashed through him. For Jess, for Rory, and for himself.

"I don't know Luke. I just don't know anymore. I thought Rory was a good girl. I thought she knew better."

"I'm sorry, Lorelai." He didn't know what else to say. Just then Jess walked into the diner, still pulling on his jacket. "What the hell were you thinking?" He bellowed. "Get upstairs!" He lowered his voice. "I'm sorry. I'm going to have to go, I have to deal with this."

"Yeah, me too." Lorelai sighed. "Bye."

"Bye." Luke hung up the phone. He shook his head. "Caesar, you're in charge." With that he turned and walked up the stairs and into the apartment.

"Luke...." Jess said almost pathetically as Luke walked into the apartment. Usually he wouldn't care that someone thought he did something he didn't. He wouldn't have even taken the time to try to explain it. But this was Luke. Luke who had taken him in when all of his resources had been tapped out and his own mother wasn't willing to give him another go. This was the Luke who had tried to make him comfortable. Usually none of that would have mattered, either. But Luke had basically saved his life. In more ways than one.

"Shut up, Jess. Just shut up." Luke's voice was filled with sorrow and disappointment. He tried to conceal it with exasperation but it wasn't there.

"Let me explain! It wasn't how it looked." He began to stand up but sat back down quickly when Luke whirled around.

"It wasn't? It wasn't. You didn't sleep with Rory? That's rich, Jess. That's real rich!" His voice was dripping with anger. 

For once in his life Jess kept quiet.

"I told you to stay away from her, Jess! We had a deal! A deal! But no, you couldn't do that could you? Damn it Jess! Damn it! How could you do that to my Rory?" Suddenly he felt the same feeling he had when he found out Liz had gotten herself pregnant. A hot poker straight into the belly. Once again he had failed someone. Not just someone, two someones.

"_Your Rory?_" Jess was furious. "Who the hell do you think you are? You're not her fucking father and you sure as hell aren't mine! If we chose to sleep together it would be our goddamn business, not yours. But it just so happens that we didn't sleep together! But you don't care do you? You can only see the bad things in me, you don't give a goddamn do you? You want to believe I spoiled your perfect little Rory, go on believing it."

"Jess..." His teeth were clenched and his voice very quiet. A dangerous stillness had surrounded them, encased them into the room. Even the diner downstairs had gone quiet. Anger, pure anger, weighed everything down. 

"I don't give a shit what you think about me, Luke!" Jess went on, not even hearing his own words. "But you will not, _will not_, talk about Rory like that. Do you think she's stupid enough to sleep with me? Do you really think that Luke? Do you really think Rory is a..." The word was in his mouth, the tip of his tongue. It tasted foul, worse even than soured milk. "a _whore?_"

Quick as lightening, loud as a thunderbolt. Then he was reeling, falling backwards into his chair. His cheek, his left cheek, was humming. He stared up at Luke with a look of utter confusion on his face. Then it struck him, nearly as hard as the actual hit had been. Luke punched him.

"Don't you ever call Rory a whore." It was barely a whisper. Something unreadable crossed Luke's eyes and instantly a shiver of terror traveled down Jess' spine. Almost as quickly that terror was replaced once again by anger.

"I wasn't the one insinuating that Rory was a whore! I wasn't the one who even suggested that she'd sleep with someone she has barely known for a few weeks! Rory Gilmore may be a lot of things but she is no whore! You want to know what I think?" Jess was up in Luke's face, a very dangerous thing to do considering.

"What? What do you think, Jess?" 

"I think that you know Lorelai spread her legs when she was sixteen and you know where that got her. And you can't help but think Rory is going to follow in her footsteps and screw her life up. You think it's your fault because you brought me here, little Jimmy Jr., the impregnator in your eyes. And oh, I'm a bad ass so of course little Gilmore is going to follow in big Gilmore's footsteps and go straight to bed with me. And it's all your fault."

Ouch. Right to the bone.

"Get out." Once again it was barely audible.

"What?"

"You have to go, Jess. Get out."

"Fine. Fine." Deep down he felt the pain. But he wouldn't acknowledge it. " I'll pack my stuff and be out within the hour."

"No. Leave the stuff. I'll send it to New York. Just go, Jess." The same sorrow that was in his voce when he had first walked into the room was present, and very palpable now.

Dropping it, Jess walked to the door. He stopped as if he were about to say something else, then started walking again. Moments later Luke walked down into the diner. Everything was quiet surreal. He walked behind the counter. Taylor walked up.

"No!" Luke yelled at him and walked into the kitchen.

****

A/N: Hey guys! I'm just writing a short A/N checking in. How is everyone? I'm good. Oh, thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. I really appreciate it. And I do listen to you comments, I worked in something that someone, I apologize for not remembering exactly who it was, said. The 'Rory only knowing Jess for a few weeks' thing. So, if you have any ideas on what you want to happen in later chapters you can mention them. I may not use them but then again I just might. I'm sorry this was so short, but I didn't want to add anything else to it and spoil the Luke/Jess scene. I tried, but it all downplayed the emotion there. You guys get what I mean. So, I had this done like, a month ago, but I was fiddling with extensions. Sorry it's late. I may be taking a little longer to post stuff than usual, but the time in between posting I'll use to make it really good. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Any questions or concerns write them in a review. I'll check back in in a few chapters.

Also, did anyone else notice that Milo Ventimigla's name was not in the opening credits this past Tuesday?

~*~*Manda*~*~


	6. Chapter 6

****

**Violence. Swearing, and Sexual Content. Do not read it if these things tend to offend you**

It wasn't as if he didn't know that he would eventually be back here, the city of his birth, his raising. It was just now that he was here, he didn't know what he was going to do. He'd crashed at his friend, Jake's , for a few nights, trying desperately to get his bearings. No matter what he tried he couldn't get back into the swing of things. Something was missing inside him. It had been since he boarded the bus in Stars Hollow. He had felt a physical pain when he saw the sign: _You are now leaving Stars Hollow. Happy travels!_ He had quickly pushed it aside and refused to think about it. It occurred to him that he had been trying to do that a lot lately. He thought about this as he wandered through the Park.

When people looked at him, they saw a teenage boy taking a nice stroll. But Jess wasn't strolling, he was wandering, lost. He had to go to his mother's, he had to find a way to get her to take him back. That's going to be fun, he thought. He didn't want to go back to Liz's but he really had no choice. 

Did Rory know he was gone yet? Did she miss him? He had a feeling the answer to those questions were yes. Would she come after him? No. She wouldn't. Exasperated, he sat down on a bench and opened _The Fountainhead _muttering about the author being a crazed lunatic. 

The inevitable could wait a couple of hours while he tried to figure out what the hell was going on in this book.

Rory heard Lorelai come in from her spot curled up on her bed. She had no intention of going out to meet her Mom. Honestly, she hadn't really seen Lorelai since the day Jess had left. She blamed Lorelai and Luke both for him leaving. If Lorelai hadn't taken it the wrong way and immediately called Luke then maybe Jess wouldn't have had to leave. She really missed him, and didn't care to think about all the reasons why. 

Lorelai had pretty much given Rory her space. But enough was enough, and she was getting worried.

"Rory? Sweetie, we need to talk about this." Lorelai came in and sat down.

"Go away." Rory rolled over on her other side, turning her back to Lorelai.

"No, sweetie. We need to talk about this, honey. I know you miss Jess, but you can't stay locked in this room forever."

"And why not?"

"Because there are great things to do in the world. And if you stay in here you won't be able to do them."

"So?"

"Honey...I understand that you felt something for Jess, something very real." Lorelai began, obviously having no idea where to take it.

"No, Mom, you don't understand. Granted I may have felt...may feel something for Jess, but that really isn't the issue here now is it? The issue is that I slept with Jess. Well, for your information, I didn't sleep with Jess. I wanted to, changed my mind and Jess had been very gentlemen-y about it. We stayed up talking about books and stuff. No sex. Nu uh. Good day." She laid back down turning her back to Lorelai once again.

"Then what was he doing in your room, then? Huh? Answer me that little Missy."

"That is none of your concern."

"Oh, no, I'm your mother, if there are boys in your room during the night I have the right to know about it." Lorelai said, pulling the mother card.

"We talked! Okay, we talked. My boyfriend was just killed."

"Supposedly by him."

"Exactly."

"Exactly what?"

"Exactly, he is having problems, I am having problems. We talked." She sat up exasperated.

"Did you really not sleep with him?"

"No! I did not sleep with Jess. Are we done here?"

"One more question."

"What?" She said irritated.

"Did Jess kill Dean?"

Rory shot her a stony glance of pure irritation.

"Oh my God. He did. Jess killed Dean."

"Mom...."

"No, he did. Why?"

She gave up. "Dean tried to rape me..."

"Huh. So Jess killed Dean. Who else knows about it?"

"It goes far deeper than you could ever imagine." She said.

"Huh." She said again.

"Mom, you can't tell anybody."

"We going to be okay?" Lorelai asked.

"We always are aren't we?"

"Good. So...Luke's?"

"I'm not so sure."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"I guess."

"Luke's Diner." Luke answered the phone after five rings. 

"Luke." The voice on the other side of the phone said.

"Jess."

Silence.

"So how are...." Luke stumbled. "I mean..."

"Good. Good. You?"

"Oh. Uh..."

"That bad?" He asked with a humorless laugh.

"No. Good."

"Ah. Alright. Good. Uh..."

"She's having a rough time. But she'll get through it." Luke said, guessing that he wanted to ask about Rory.

"Good. Have you...." Jess was immensely relieved.

"No. But she'll come around in time."

"Okay."

"So really...."

"I'm fine."

"Got a place to stay?" Luke knew Liz didn't want him there, and probably wouldn't let him stay for long.

"Temporarily." Jess said, thinking about how Liz had told him he could only stay until he found another place to live. Which, he sighed, was one of the reasons he was calling.

"Oh. Do you need..."

"Nah." 

"Are you sure 'cause I could probably... help you out a little?" 

"Really?"

"Yeah. Until you get a job or something."

"Oh. Uh. Yeah." Jess never was good with thanking people.

"Okay then."

"Okay. See ya."

"See ya." 

Jess hung up the phone. That was good, Luke was going to hook him up with an apartment. Of course, that meant he'd have to get a job to pay rent, but it was better than where he was. Rory was okay, hurt but okay. Luke had told her most of why he kicked Jess out, apparently. Lorelai was still a stalemate. He shouldn't have expected anything else. The cops knew nothing, they believed Luke's phony alibi, for now. And to top it off Luke was busy as hell, had just had an argument with Taylor, was trying desperately to ignore Kirk, and was hoping that Lorelai would show up....with Rory... very soon.

It slightly unnerved him that he had gotten so much from so few words and wondered what Luke had gotten from him. Maybe that he was miserable, unwelcome, and pretty much desperate for anything positive. That he missed Rory immensely and was pondering the fact that she might be a girl he may someday actually love. That he wanted to go back to Stars Hollow so much it hurt. Luke had gotten that Jess needed an apartment, and that he was willing to pay for it himself, if only Luke would help him until he got a job. Could he have gotten those other things too?

Giving up on guessing what Luke knew, Jess picked up a copy of the classifieds. Time to look for an apartment.

"Hey, Luke." Lorelai chimed walking in.

"Lorelai." Luke said looking to Lorelai. "Hi, Rory." This was said much softer.

"Hi, Luke."

He turned back to his conversation with Kirk. "No, Kirk. They are $2.50, have always been $2.50, and will always be $2.50. Do you want one or not?"

"Fine. But it's blasphemy." Kirk said.

"Lorelai, can I talk to you for a minute?" Luke asked a moment later after serving Kirk.

"Uh, yeah sure." She walked up to the counter. "What's up?"

"How is she?" He gestured towards Rory.

"Not good."

"I'm sorry. But...uh.... do you know anyone who might have an extra bed and some spare furniture?"

"Maybe, why?"

He gave her his 'you honestly don't want to know and I don't want to tell you' look. She nodded.

"I'll look around."

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

He stopped her before she could walk back to the table. "He's fine."

"Good to know."

****

A/N: It's kind of short. And not a lot happens. Next chapter will be crammed with action. I'm sorry it took so long, my Uncle had a stroke and we all thought he was going to die. He's okay now, for the most part. He's going home sometime this week. Oh, it may take me a while to update this anymore because of school and everything. But have patience because updates will be forth coming.


	7. Chapter 7

****

***Sexual Content, Violence, and Swearing***

He slipped the key into the lock of his apartment and stepped in. He was covered in grease, unbearably hungry, and his muscles were miserably fatigued. But he was home.

The little apartment in Hell's Kitchen wasn't much. It consisted of four rooms, a living room/dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom about the size of a walk-in closet. He had decorated the best he could, and liked to call the place Spartan. The walls were a dirty shade of white, the carpets, old and stained, were a kind of puke pink color. The tile in the bathroom and kitchen was fading and peeling back. His water was hard. It was his. At least he didn't have roaches or rats; both were common to the area in New York. In his living room he had a dinged up table, covered in a blue sheet, where he ate, and a sunken sofa that folded into a bed. The previous occupant left appliances, an ancient gas stove and a humming refrigerator, in the apartment. The refrigerator was full. He had a stereo and a twin bed in the bedroom.

Jess considered himself lucky. While the furniture was nothing to applaud and the apartment one step up from a shelter, it was better than what he had. Luke had supplied most of the furniture and had stocked him with enough food to do him a while. The first two-month's rent was paid, and he would be able to make his own payments after that. He had a standing deal with the landlord, if Jess was willing to fix up his own apartment and play handyman for the building, the landlord would consider the rent paid in full. That was good. His paycheck wasn't big, a mere two hundred a week. Pathetic. He was a mechanic at a garage just a few blocks from where he lived. With this added benefit he could afford food, maybe some more furniture, and hopefully soon a car. For now he walked. 

The little room was overheated, caused by the lady in apartment 3B, Agnes, all of 87, who kept the furnace the whole building shared higher than it should be to warm her arthritis ridden bones. He was sweating, which made the dirt and grime cake to his body. With an inward cringe he pulled a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt from a box in his closet he used as a drawer. Sighing heavily, he stripped out of his clothes, briefly noted he needed to make more time to work out, and probably eat more, then got in the shower and let the hot spray take him to heaven.

Half an hour later he was in the basement of the building pouring detergent into a washing machine. He popped quarters in, hit the start button and hopped up to sit on the washer with a book.

"....They have separate rooms now, his with a lock. They're still married though. Has to be a bad way to go, killed by a cheese shredder. Rory? Have you heard a word I said?" Lane asked, worried about her friend's far off stare.

"Uh huh." She said, barely hearing that Lane had asked about her.

"You're thinking about Jess aren't you?"

"What?" Rory snapped back. "Jess? No. I was thinking about...." She paused trying to think of something plausible. "....cheese."

Lane cringed a bit. Then proceeded. "Cheese, huh? What kind of cheese?"

She said the first thing that popped into her head. "Swiss."

"Like the Army knife?" She was going somewhere with this.

"Yeah."

She paused a second for effect. "That Jess keeps in his back pocket." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Okay, I was thinking about Jess, but is that so bad?" 

"No, not at all. I guess. You like him." Again, it was a statement not a question.

"I don't not like him."

"You like him." Lane repeated. 'Even though he killed your boyfriend.' She thought, but decided not to say that. She wasn't even sure if Rory grasped the fact that it was clear Jess had done it. She always was trying to see the good in him.

"I don't want to talk about it. I think I should just go home." She got up.

"Okay. I'll see you later then. Luke's tomorrow after school?"

"Yeah, it's a date."

She barely remembered to check the mail before she walked into the house. Bill. Bill. Taylor's Newsletter. Letter from Chilton. Bill. The last envelope made her pause. It was addressed to her but the return address caught her off guard. It was addressed:

__

John Dawkins

53 Hemming Way

New York

She stared at it a moment in curiosity and then in surprise. She couldn't believe it took her so long to figure it out. John Dawkins, a.k.a Dodger from Oliver Twist. 53, the number of chapters in Oliver Twist. Hemming Way wasn't so subtle. And New York. It was a letter from Jess. 

She ran into the house, threw the other mail on the kitchen table, ran into her room closed the door...............and locked it. And sitting on her bed ripped the letter open.

__

Rory--

Hi. Sorry. Didn't get my smoke signal? I'm in New York. My own apartment. There's a note card with the address and phone number on it in here. I'm here. I'm not bleeding, which is a good sign. I hope to remain that way. I miss you. Hope you're okay. Sorry again.

Jess

P.S- Forget about me.

Tears had formed in her eyes. She took the note card out and looked at the number. She decided that she ought to give him a call while her Mom was gone. She took out her cell phone, so the long distance wouldn't be on the home phone bill, and dialed the number listed on the card. It rang six times.

Voicemail picked up.

__

If you don't know who this, you've got the wrong number. If you don't know what to do, you shouldn't be playing with the phone. Beep.

It was Jess' voice, and he didn't sound at all pleased.

"Hi. It's Rory. I'm just calling to say I got your letter. Uh. Me too. And not a chance mister. Bye." She hung up.

Rationalizing that she had a lot of thinking to do, she left a note telling Lorelai she was out for a walk and would be home soon. To order something from Al's Pancake World and if she was late she would warm it up when she got home. With that she headed for the one place she could think clearly. The bridge.

Temper darkened his eyes as he walked through his living room and into the bedroom to put his clothes away. The dryer had eaten a dollar of his money, two full loads worth of quarters, and he realized he'd forgotten to eat. After he'd finished putting his clothes away he pulled a frozen pizza out of the freezer and stuck it in the oven. Pulling out a Pepsi from the fridge he grabbed a note pad and decided to check his messages. Thank God voice mail came with basic with the phone. Upon picking up the receiver he hears the five beeps signaling a message. Great. Couldn't he have just one night to himself?

He dialed the number and waited. He impatiently listened to the first two messages about problems that needed to be fixed in the building. He'd give the tenants a call after he ate. Expecting the third one to be the same, he steeled himself for the irritation that he always got from one of these calls by taking a drink of his soda. And nearly spat it out.

Rory's voice was the last thing he had expected hear. The only thing he'd wanted to hear. So, she got his letter. That was good. He didn't know that it would be delivered with a phony return address on it, but he hadn't really had much of a choice. What if Lorelai had gotten to the mail before Rory?

He quickly changed his mind about putting the tenants off until the next day. He had the weekend off, so he'd go to work tomorrow and get on a bus to go see Rory right afterwards. It'd be nice to see her again, to actually see how she was doing rather than listen to a phone message. She had sounded like she was crying anyway. 

The oven timer went off and had him jumping out of his skin. After catching his breath he took it out and had his first meal of the day.

In a better disposition he called the tenants and went about his work.

He was going to Stars Hollow.

She hadn't slept. She had spent most of the night thinking, and trying to keep the Thai food, that night's special at Al's Pancake World, settled. She thought she had come up with a solution to most of her problems.

Now it was five in the morning. Lorelai wouldn't be up for another hour. Rory snuck the cell phone out of the living room where it was charging and grabbed a phone book.

The Hartford bus station opened at four in the morning, so she was okay to call right now. Finding the number in the phone book she dialed the phone and waited for an answer.

"Hello. Hartford Bus Station. How may I help you?" A woman receptionist asked. Rory thought she sounded way to cheerful for five in the morning.

"Um. Yes. Are there any afternoon buses from Hartford to New York today?" She asked.

"Yes. One at four-fifteen and one at six." The happy-lady answered.

"Okay, is it possible to order a ticket and pay for it upon arrival?" Rory asked skeptically.

"Oh, yes. Would you like a ticket?"

"Yes. The four-fifteen please."

"All right, that's $23.50. Name please?"

Name? Name? She couldn't tell her her real name, what if someone tried to track her. Quickly she made something up.

"Uh. DuGrey, Mary DuGrey." She lied.

What on Earth had made her think of Tristan just then?

"All right, Ms. DuGrey. You're all booked. Make sure to be here ten minutes early to pick up your ticket." The cheery-woman said.

"All right, thanks." Rory said.

"Buh-Bye." Click.

"Oh God." Rory muttered as she stood up. "I need coffee."

"Hi, Mrs. Lang." Jess greeted his landlord's wife with a cheery disposition and his sweetest smile. 

"Why hello there Jess. What can I get you for?" 

"I wanted to drop this off. Some one may be coming to drop off some more furniture and they'll need a key." He said handing her his spare key.

"Alrighty. I'll mind to give them the key if they come asking."

"Thanks, Mrs. Lang." 

"Don't you worry none about it. You enjoy your little trip." She said, giving him a wink.

"That I'll do ma'am." 

It was already pretty late, he had gotten the later bus because he needed to get home and shower and cash his check before leaving. Now, he walked to the bus stop, nearly smiling at the prospect of seeing Rory.

"Uh, hello. Uh. Mary DuGrey. Hartford to New York." Rory said at the ticket counter at the bus stop.

It wasn't the cheery-lady anymore but some older man.

"Oooo- kay." He droned. "That'll be Twenty-three fifty, Miz DuGrey."

She counted him out the money.

"Tha-ank you. En-joy your trip."

She nodded grabbed her ticket and bag, which she had packed and took with her to school.

She was going to New York.

To be continued.


	8. Chapter 8

"Luke, she's gone! Rory's missing!" Lorelai called, running into the diner.

She froze, her eyes locked on the young man standing behind the counter, eating a bowl of ice cream.

"You! Where is she? What did you do to her?" She shouted.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lorelai." Jess said.

Now he was worried. He had gone to the Gilmore place and looked for Rory, and when he didn't find her there he figured she was somewhere with her mother or Lane. If Lorelai didn't know where she was...

"Don't pretend to not know what I'm talking about! My daughter. You. And what you did to her!" She accused.

"Lorelai..." came Luke's slow, even voice.

"I swear, if you hurt her.." Lorelai began with clenched teeth.

"I didn't hurt her!"

"Oh, yes, I believe that. You're capable of killing Dean but not capable of hurting my daughter."

Jess' eyes grew wide as he looked at Luke.

"You told her? Jesus, Luke." He muttered in disgust.

"Luke? You knew about this?" Lorelai questioned. "I can't believe you knew about this and didn't tell me. My daughter is at risk here."

"Jess wouldn't hurt her, Lorelai." Luke said.

"Jess wouldn't... Luke! He killed a man! He took someone's life. How can you stand there and defend him like that? That damned kid has been nothing but trouble since the day he got here. "

"Lorelai. Calm down." Luke tried.

"I will not calm down! What if he hurt her? What if she's cut up in tiny pieces and hidden in his freezer? What if..."

"Stop it!" Jess dropped his bowl onto the counter.

He paced away trying to clear his mind. Trying to get those pictures out of his head. He hadn't hurt her, he hadn't even known she was gone. But he could see, so clearly, someone else touching her. Someone else hurting her. In his mind he could see Rory Gilmore limp and lifeless.

He'd never been more scared in his entire life.

Where could she be? Where could she be! He certainly hadn't seen her. And obviously, neither had Luke nor Lorelai. Lane? Could she be somewhere with Lane? No, if she were with Lane, Lorelai would know.

He knew she wasn't at the bridge. After he found out she wasn't home he went there and sat for several long minutes. Reasoning why he was there. If it had been a good idea. He still wasn't sure. But now he knew he had to do one thing.

He had to find Rory.

"What about Lane?" He heard Luke ask.

"I called. Luke, she's really missing. I can't find her. It's not like her take off like this. What if someone took her?" Her gaze swept back to Jess.

"Will you stop looking at me like that? I didn't hurt the beloved Stars Hollow princess."

He picked up his bowl and took it into the kitchen to rinse it out. The mundane task didn't calm him.

He leaned against the counter, Luke and Lorelai's conversation seemed to drift away on a breeze that didn't exist.

Painfully, he looked around and remembered the night Dean had died. Who else knew? How long would the cops be fooled by Luke's phony story? Did he have much time? What would happen to the people who knew? Were they in danger? What had he done?

He heard the front door to the diner slam. Moments later, Luke came into the kitchen.

"Well?"

"Not so good. She still thinks you had something to do with it." Luke said.

"I didn't."

"I know you didn't, Jess."

Luke paused and looked at his nephew.

"I don't know where she is Luke. I came here looking for her."

"Alright."

Jess sat back and thought about it. She couldn't have went to see him. Wouldn't have. It would've worried Lorelai too much. And more than that, it wasn't safe. It wasn't safe for her or anyone else to be around him. Someday soon, it was all going to come out. The wood fragments would be found in Dean's head. How had they not already? Speculation, already growing, would fiercely turn on him. And all would know.

He asked look the one question that bothered him the most.

"Do they all know? About Rory?"

Luke nodded and Jess winced. He could see the looks of pity she would get as she walked down the street. Feel how demeaning they were. He could hear the people think that she would never have a stable relationship now. One where she wasn't afraid of being hurt.

How much that would hurt her.

He wanted to rip out their eyes and make them eat them.

Jess shook his head. Had he really thought that? When had he become so violent?

"Catching the bus in the morning." Jess said.

Luke nodded. It was unspoken that if anything about Rory popped up, he was to call him immediately.

The door was locked. The stupid door was locked.

She knocked loudly again. No answer.

"Come on, Jess." She muttered and knocked again.

"Excuse me, young lady, is there a problem?"

The voice had come from the down the hall a bit. It was an older man, in his late 50's. early 60's at best.

Odd, she hadn't heard the door open.

"Um..." Rory for a moment. She couldn't lie on the spot.

"Well, miss?" The older man asked?

"Well, you see, my friend here, he was expecting me." She lied, shuffling her feet.

"And what is your friend's name?" The man asked.

"Jess? Jess Mariano." She said back, unsure if she should have.

"Oh. Fine young man. You must be the furniture delivery. He left a spare key in the office. I'll go fetch it for ya." The man said, cheering.

Wow, throw Jess' name around and it gets action. At least on this floor of this apartment building.

She looked around. It wasn't much. A hole in the wall in the middle of a bad part of New York. Not the best hiding place, she didn't think. Who wouldn't expect a murderer to live in a rundown apartment.

She really hoped he had utilities. She needed a shower.

"Here ya go." The man said, handing her some keys.

He was really trustworthy, she thought. And didn't know if that was admirable or stupid in this part of town.

"Thank you. Do you have any idea where Jess went?"

"No ma'am. Boy comes and goes as he pleases. Gots a right to, don' he? Fixes things up right 'round here. Deserves a day or two to himself. Poor lad." The old man said.

"Between you and I, young lady, I think the man has a soft spot for some girl."

Her interest piqued.

"What makes you think that?" She asked.

"Well, he always comin' and goin' around here. Mutterin' to himself. Lookin' like a lost puppy dog taken away from his Mama too early. Spells love to me. But what do I know? I'm just some ol' man."

"Hm. Interesting." She said. "Well, I really should be going. Nice to meet you and thanks."

"You too, ma'am. You have a good one." He said and went back over to his apartment.

Metal on metal as the key turned in the lock. A soft click as the key slid back out. The turning of the knob. Opening and closing the door.

The soft footsteps as someone walked across the carpeted floors. A click. And then the lights were on.

"Who's there?" She asked, startled.

"That's my line." Jess said, smirking a little.

"Oh my god, Jess, you scared me." Rory jumped up.

They looked at each other for long, long moments. Well, he thought, there she is.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

She stepped forward, inches from him.

"I..."

To be continued....

__

A/N: Sorry it took so long guys. Really sorry. For those of you who stuck with me, thank you. You don't know how much it means to me. Now, I promise that there will be an update every couple of weeks at the latest. I already know where I want part of the rest of the story to go. Now, go, review me. Come on, you know you want to.


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